There is no single salary for computer science professionals: pay depends on the occupation. In the United States, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported May 2025 median annual wages of $135,980 for software developers, $105,850 for computer systems analysts, and $140,300 for computer and information research scientists. These are national occupational estimates—not guaranteed starting salaries or predictions for an individual offer.
U.S. computer science salaries at a glance
The BLS median is the wage at which half of workers in an occupation earned more and half earned less. It is a midpoint, not an average, minimum, or maximum. The figures below are national medians for May 2025.
| Occupation | May 2025 median annual wage | May 2025 10th–90th percentile thresholds | What the work involves |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers | $135,980 | Below $82,460 to above $214,670 | Create software. BLS occupational profile |
| Computer systems analysts | $105,850 | Below $67,340 to above $167,710 | Study organizational computer systems and identify ways to improve them. BLS occupational profile |
| Computer and information research scientists | $140,300 | Below $82,200 to above $230,630 | Conduct computing research and develop solutions to computing problems. BLS occupational profile |
The percentile figures are thresholds: for example, the software developer figure means the lowest 10 percent earned less than $82,460 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $214,670. They do not define fixed salary bands or map directly to experience levels.
Which occupation matches your role?
Job titles vary between employers, so compare the day-to-day responsibilities with the BLS occupation rather than treating “computer science professional” as a single job category. Developers build software; systems analysts examine how organizations use computer systems; research scientists focus on computing research and solutions.
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For additional context, the BLS research scientist profile reports a May 2025 median of $109,470 for all computer occupations and $50,980 for all occupations. These are broad national categories, not substitutes for choosing the closest occupation to a particular role.
The BLS also reports May 2025 medians of $134,040 for the combined category of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers, and $104,300 for software quality assurance analysts and testers. The combined figure should not be confused with the software developer median: it covers multiple occupations.
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Why pay differs within an occupation
Industry
Industry can shift the relevant comparison even for the same occupation. For computer systems analysts, the BLS reported these May 2025 U.S. medians by industry:
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Computer systems design and related services | $108,270 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $107,980 |
| Information | $107,240 |
| Finance and insurance | $106,000 |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $100,190 |
Geography and timing
The figures in this article are national May 2025 estimates. State and metropolitan-area wages can differ, so use the newest available BLS estimate for the location where the job is based when evaluating an offer. The BLS publishes national occupational wage estimates in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
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Individual circumstances
These occupational statistics do not estimate what a particular person will earn based on a computer science degree, experience, or a specific employer. They describe wages across workers in an occupation; they are not individualized forecasts.
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How to use the numbers when evaluating an offer
- Match the work to an occupation. Identify the closest BLS role by duties, not job-title wording alone.
- Choose the right comparison. Start with the national occupation median, then check the relevant state or metro estimate and, where applicable, industry data.
- Read the median and percentiles correctly. The median is the midpoint; percentile thresholds describe the distribution and are not promises or experience-based salary steps.
- Use the benchmark as a discussion starting point. BLS says occupational wage data can inform negotiations. Treat it as context for a conversation, not an entitlement or prediction of what an employer will pay. See the BLS May 2025 occupational wage release.
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